"Something is clinging to me!"

White Crow abruptly sat up, taking deep breaths. Just as he was about to remove his bird-beak mask to catch his breath, his movements suddenly froze.

In the corner of his room, a black box had appeared at some unknown time.

Realizing something, White Crow instead took out a mirror.

The reflection in the mirror was not his own image, but a black box.

It was a black box with traditional Chinese mortise and tenon joinery, palm-sized, with no decorations on its surface. The black box was vastly different from his memory, appearing more ancient and mysterious. The lid was slightly ajar, with wisps of black smoke seeping out from within.

Furthermore, no matter from what angle he observed it, he could see the wood grain on the box's surface wriggling, forming one distorted face after another.

"The tale is already distorting my perception... This is the final stage of the tale curse!"

A drop of cold sweat silently slid down White Crow's forehead.

The tale was over on Xu Lang's side, a single slash settled it.

But White Crow truly couldn't just slash it away! Different professions excel in different fields!

This was precisely why the Taleblade Building was terrifying!

As long as you didn't understand the rules and couldn't achieve a mechanism-overpowering advantage, there was only one path left: waiting for death!

"I must go kill Xu Lang, I can't let the tale curse continue to spread... otherwise, I'll die!"

White Crow didn't know where the tale curse would ultimately lead him. What if it was an instant-death type of curse? That would be such an aggrieved way to die!

This was also because White Crow wasn't a Taleblade Building player and had no experience dealing with tales.

Generally speaking, tales with high infectiousness wouldn't have overly strong lethality.

If you encountered a tale with both high infectiousness and strong lethality, well, that was fine too.

Just straighten your attire and wait for death peacefully.

White Crow swiftly left his dormitory. He didn't even notify his Tenant, heading directly to the front lines.

Stepping out of the dormitory, he discovered an even more terrifying phenomenon!

Black boxes were everywhere on the streets!

This made him feel even more horrified.

The earth was buried with bones and ambitions. He didn't want to slumber eternally, nor did he want to bury his own ambitions!

Therefore, he absolutely could not die!

Finding Madame Eight Chi and the others, before White Crow could even speak, Four-Eyed Factory Director turned to look at him and asked, "White Crow, have you seen the boxes?"

White Crow instantly froze on the spot.

Only then did he realize that all nine Factory Heads had actually gathered together!

"You all see them too?" White Crow took a deep breath and asked solemnly, "What's your infection concentration?"

"Don't know, but boxes are all over the world anyway." Rokurokubi shook his head.

It's over!

White Crow felt a sense of his Dao heart shattering. On his way here, he had seen Twilight Building players playing with black boxes.

So it wasn't that his perception had been distorted, but that boxes were literally everywhere on the streets!

"Is this thing really that terrifying?" Four-Eyed Factory Director lightly tapped the ground with one foot, and a black box was jolted up by an invisible force.

A blurry afterimage flashed, and the black box was sliced into two halves!

No one saw how Four-Eyed Factory Director drew his blade; they could only see his hand resting on the hilt.

"This is something from the Taleblade Building. We've all been cursed!" White Crow took a deep breath, smiling with relief. "But it's fine. Since we're all cursed, even if I can't resolve it, you all have the ability to handle it... right?"

Rokurokubi crossed his arms, remaining silent.

Madame Eight Chi gave a delicate laugh, her thoughts unknown.

The other six Factory Heads—Yatsufusa, Waira, Mujina, Rokurokubi, Siren Ouli, Rama Demon Bird—all reacted differently, each finding it somewhat troublesome.

At that moment, the massive Yatsufusa flapped its wings and looked towards the Mad King Building.

A black shadow shot down from the tenth floor like a meteor.

Seeing everyone had gathered, Xu Lang didn't waste words. He extended a palm forward and murmured:

"Ghost Domain: Endless Purgatory!"

...

【Tale Demon Box】

【Type: Tale Curio】

【Rank: EX】

【Rarity: EX】

【Effect 1 (Malignance): Curses all targets who see the Demon Box and who are seen by the Demon Box】

【Effect 2 (Replicant): The Tale Demon Box has countless replicants that can appear simultaneously before all cursed individuals】

【Effect 3 (Demon Box World): The Tale Demon Box possesses an independent alternate dimension】

【Effect 4 (Demon Box World - Calamity Assimilation): All individuals who die within the Demon Box World transform into new tales. Weaker individuals spontaneously fuse, becoming a "Tale Aggregate"】

【Effect 5 (Demon Box World - Curse): The Tale Demon Box can observe the environment around the cursed individual and can also suck the cursed individual into the Demon Box World】

【Effect 6 (Ghost Domain: Endless Purgatory): The interior of the Tale Demon Box automatically divides into "layers" and grants special permissions to the layer masters. Current layer: "Gluttony"】

【Effect 7 (Endless Purgatory - Gluttony): First layer of Endless Purgatory. Layer Master: Gluttony Demon. Layer Rule: Upon the scorched earth, hunger continuously accumulates. All targets suffering from hunger will have the moisture in their bodies dried up by the fires of hunger】

【Introduction: A tale among tales, a demon among demons. Do not look at it, do not think of it. It is within the box, yet also outside it...】

...

Upon the vast expanse of scorched plains, hot winds drifted like steam rising from a steamer.

All the Twilight Building players who could hold their own on stage had gathered here.

"Finally here!"

The Gluttony Demon stood like a colossal tower upon the scorched earth. Wielding a table knife, his giant tongue suddenly lashed out between dripping drool, like a long whip flogging enemy troops.

A large wave of Soul Devourers was directly swept into his mouth.

Tasting the sweetness, his eyes turned crimson, and his expression of greed intensified greatly.

Xu Lang stood on the Gluttony Demon's shoulder, his gaze sweeping over the Twilight Building players below.

The layer rules of the Ghost Domain were extremely powerful, but their weakness was also very obvious.

As long as the Gluttony Demon, the layer master, was defeated, this layer of the Ghost Domain would collapse.

And what Xu Lang needed to do was help the Gluttony Demon deal with the Twilight Building players.

Either annihilating them or delaying them would work.

Xu Lang wanted to try the former first.

One man devouring an entire building!

Purgatory March left its sheath, its deep black blade swirling with threads of Ghost Qi.

Simultaneously, his long hair turned silvery-white. Yin and Yang energies circled around him, transforming into a great cloak, making him appear both divine and demonic.

Two Blood Rakshasa clones also appeared beside him.

The one standing here was not Xu Lang's true body, merely a projection he created using the Tale Demon Box. It possessed his full combat power and was immortal.

"Pity, the Gluttony Demon doesn't have any hidden abilities. Otherwise, we could have dragged them to death!" Xu Lang's eyes held neither sorrow nor joy, only an extreme, icy indifference, like an aloof immortal gazing down from on high.

He pointed a finger forward, and a waterfall of Yin-Yang swords suddenly materialized, sweeping towards the Twilight Building players.

Space soon began to tremble, turning the world upside down!